‘The most consequential conflict in the Middle East at least since the 2003 Iraq War.’
In a Q&A four days before the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies scholars Abbas Milani, the head of Stanford’s Iranian studies program and the co-founder of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution, and Amichai Magen, JSM ’03, a visiting fellow in Israel studies, broke down the longstanding rivalry between the two nations and analyzed the effects of the current war on regional stability and the implications for global powers. Magen, who called this conflict the most consequential in the Middle East in decades, noted that if Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities were to be dismantled and the Ayatollah regime destabilized such that the people of Iran could topple its leadership, “we will be living in a new Middle East, one in which the axis of resistance is greatly diminished.”
Wealth of information.
When Annamaria Lusardi, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, devised the “Big Three” financial literacy questions—to be asked in the 2004 U.S. Health and Retirement Study—colleagues advised her not to use such obvious queries. The trio of questions required only a basic conceptual understanding of ideas at the core of most economic decisions: compound interest, inflation, and risk diversification. Put more simply, elemental ways that wealth can grow, shrink, and be protected. And yet, only a third of respondents answered all three questions correctly. The “Big Three” questions have become a common metric of personal financial literacy, yielding reliably dismal results for all ages. (College graduates fare only slightly better than the general population. You can try your hand at the Big Three at the link below.) While poor financial decisions cost Americans billions, personal finance is more than just personal, according to Lusardi. It deprives the economy of capital, and, if enough people make poor decisions, it can contribute to disasters like the 2008 global financial crisis. Lusardi believes education is the solution. “We want to put personal finance in the classroom,” she told Stanford magazine, “in college but also in high school, and, in fact, in every place where people learn.”
The Class of 2025 gets wacky.
Photo: Harry Gregory and Kurt Hickman
On June 15, Stanford celebrated the conferral of 1,010 doctoral degrees, 2,655 master’s degrees, and 2,140 bachelor’s degrees—making for Stanford’s largest-ever graduating class—at the university’s 134th Commencement Ceremony. Check out highlights from the Wacky Walk.
‘The class that brought back fun.’
In his first Commencement as university president, Jonathan Levin, ’94, remarked on the value of universities—including the creation of knowledge, openly published research, and alumni who contribute to the world. He urged graduates to share the open-minded, exploratory, optimistic spirit of Stanford with those around them, and gave credit to this mostly post-pandemic cohort for bringing fun back to campus. (He also briefly slipped on Teva sandals—a nod to his 1994 graduation fashion choices. You can hear the story behind that at minute 1:40 of his speech.) Keynote speaker and 14-time Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky, ’20, reflected on her first-ever Olympic race, during which commentators warned viewers that she had started too fast. (She ultimately won by 4 seconds.) Listen to family members and mentors, “but also listen to yourself," Ledecky told the graduates. "Don’t be afraid to take the lead. Sometimes you just have to go for it and find out what you’re capable of.” The ceremony followed the June 14 Baccalaureate celebration, in which speaker Alexander Nemerov, a professor of art and art history, advised graduates to consider not only momentous occasions but ordinary ones as well. Recalling them in the future, he said, makes time stand still and invokes an enduring wonder for the preciousness of life.
In the right vein.
Researchers are on their way to printing 3D human organs, but in order to function, the organs require intricate networks of blood vessels—a daunting modeling and printing challenge. Using a speedy new algorithm, researchers generated a branching, tree-like computer model of one million blood vessels that could vascularize a human heart. They then translated the design into instructions for a 3D printer—all in about five hours. Using older algorithms, the same task might have taken months. 3D bioprinters, which print using living cells, can’t yet create networks so fine and dense, but “this is a critical step in the process,” said Mark Skylar-Scott, an assistant professor of bioengineering and co-senior author on the paper. “We have successfully generated enough heart cells from human stem cells to print the whole human heart, and now we can design a good, complex vascular tree to keep them fed and living. We are now actively putting the two together: cells and vasculature, at organ scale.”
But wait, there’s more.
Jaws celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend. Stanford magazine explored a little-known connection between the film and the Farm: the work of shark researcher Leonard Compagno, PhD ’79, whose expertise helped make the movie’s great white, Bruce, a villain for the ages.
Campus volunteers are digging through dumpster material on a monthly basis, producing waste audits to help the university improve waste sorting and move closer to its climate goals.
Asùkùlù Songolo, ’25, came to Stanford to study international relations, but a fellowship at a boutique in Paris turned his eye toward fashion. He now has his own brand, Luùndo, fusing traditional Congolese cultural dress with modern silhouettes and styles.
In the weeks after giving birth, new mothers face a host of physical and emotional challenges. Pervez Sultan, a professor of anesthesiology, has created the Stanford Obstetric Recovery Checklist to more quickly detect often-overlooked issues with physical mobility, social support, and anxiety levels.
Notes from the Farm, a pocket-sized book created by students and featuring a compilation of stories written by current and recent undergrads, is keeping campus traditions alive and helping first-years find a sense of belonging. It’s available only to incoming members of the Class of ’29—more than 950 of whom have already signed up to receive the free guide.
On June 26, documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, producer, and director Jon Else, MA ’76, will receive a lifetime achievement honor at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
President Jonathan Levin announced the 2025 recipients of the President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good, which honors alumni who positively and sustainably impact the lives of others. Gayatri Datar, MBA ’14, the co-founder and CEO of EarthEnable, has helped hundreds of thousands of people obtain affordable, sustainable, and safer housing. Pamela Ronald, MS ’84, a plant geneticist focused on rice, has used groundbreaking research to improve food security for millions.
YuQing Jiang, ’25, is the inaugural recipient of the ePluribus Stanford Award for contributions toward constructive dialogue and civic engagement on campus. Jiang’s accomplishments include his efforts to revive the Stanford Political Union, a nonpartisan student organization that hosts discussions on current events and hot-button issues.
Note: The Loop sometimes links to articles outside of Stanford that may require a subscription to view.
